L'editoriale di Vadim Furmanov

calcioslavo 21:51:00 0

The first half of this Ukrainian Premier League season was dominated by Shakhtar Donetsk, and since the resumption of the league not much has changed. Shakhtar have an incredible record of 23 wins, one draw, and one defeat. They have scored 68 goals and conceded just 13; their goal difference of 55 equals the points total of their nearest challenger, Metalist Kharkiv. Shakhtar have, in recent years, become the undisputed kings of Ukrainian football, overtaking their great rivals Dynamo Kyiv, who have historically been the most successful team in Ukraine. Shakhtar are now on the verge of a fourth straight UPL title, and this year have once again embarrassed Dynamo. They defeated Dynamo twice in the league, including a 2-1 victory in Kyiv earlier this month, and knocked them out of the Ukrainian Cup as well. Shakhtar had the chance to be crowned champions this weekend but were held to a 1-1 draw at Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. But all that result accomplished was to postpone the inevitable coronation. With a 15 point advantage over second place and five matches still to play, it is safe to say that Shakhtar will continue to rule Ukrainian football.

The real drama in Ukraine this year comes not at the top of the table, but in the race for the Champions League spots. There is currently a 3-way race for 2nd spot and a chance to play in Europe's elite club competition. Metalist Kharkiv currently occupy that spot with 55 points, two above Dynamo and six clear of Dnipro. Dnipro were second up until a month ago, when a poor run of just one point in three matches saw them drop from second to fourth. Juande Ramos's men did record an impressive draw with Shakhtar over the weekend, but at this point of the season any dropped points could be decisive in the Champions League race. Metalist, meanwhile, have solidified their credentials in the past few weeks, having won 6 out of 7 matches since the league resumed in March to leapfrog their rivals into second place. Dynamo Kyiv are right behind them. The capital club have had their fare share of struggles and were defeated by Shakhtar in the Ukrainian derby two weeks ago, but a 5-0 away victory over Zorya over the weekend suggests that they may be finally settling in under new manager Oleh Blokhin. The next several rounds will be crucial in deciding who Ukraine's second representative in next year's edition of the Champions League will be. Next week Dnipro travel to Dynamo, while Shakhtar host Metalist with the prospect of clinching the UPL title. The following week Metalist face off against Dynamo, and in the penultimate round Dnipro and Metalist will play each other. There is sure to be plenty of drama in the coming weeks. Dynamo has never finished outside of the top two in the UPL, while Metalist and Dnipro seek to clinch a Champions League berth for the first time in their histories.

Fifth place and the final Europa League spot is also up for grabs. Chornomorets Odessa were in fifth
when the league resumed, but were overtaken by Metalurh Donetsk after losing to Metalist Kharkiv
over the weekend. Chornomortes have been in terrible form as of late, picking up just one point in
their last five outings. Metalurh, meanwhile, have won four in a row to jump from 9th spot into 5th.
Metalurh are on 39 points, two clear of Chornomorets. Illichivets Mariupol' and Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
also remain in the hunt, with 36 and 35 points respectively.

At the other end of the table Metalurh Zaporizhia are certain to be relegated. They finally recorded
their first victory of the season over the weekend, a shock 2-0 result over Kryvbas. Metalurh have
scored just 8 goals all season long and have a goal difference of -45. Although they have not yet been
relegated mathematically, they need to win all five of their remaining matches, hope Karpaty lose all
of theirs, and make up a 32 goal difference. In other words, they have no chance. Hoverla Uzhhorod
is the other team in the relegation zone. They have been struggling all season long, but an impressive
spell of 7 points in 3 matches recently has seen move to within sight of safety. They are now five
points behind Karpaty, and with five matches left to play they still harbor hopes of a Great Escape.

Off the pitch, Ukrainian football has been dominated recently with news of several teams in serious
financial difficulties. Volyn Lutsk, Kryvbas, and Arsenal Kyiv, all of whom have reported ties to
Dnipro President Ihor Kolomoyskyi, are all in severe debt and have had trouble paying their players
recently. Without a solution, all three risk ceasing operations and getting kicked out of the UPL for
next season.

Finally, the semifinals of the Ukrainian Cup will be held on 8 May, with Shakhtar taking on first league side PFC Sevastopol while Chornomorets host Dnipro for the opportunity to play in the final in Kyiv on May 22. Shakhtar are seeking their third successive league and cup double.